I'm doing everything in my power to make it out to Coachella this year, now that I'm finally in college and out of my parents jurisdiction! I am trying to figure this all out, but could I have advice on planning my whole Coachella experiance? I'll be taking a Flight out of New Jersey, I've never been to California. I'm curious about prices, camping, when to buy tickets, transportation, hotel vs camping, the area,what to bring, etc...basically EVERYTHING. Perhaps there's some sort of first time guide someones written up? haha

thanks!

airguitarvet

12-25-2007, 10:35 AM

look around the board.

scoop49er

12-25-2007, 10:42 AM

welcome! ok some quick tips you can take or not:

1. flights: you can fly into palm springs on certain airlines or you can fly into ontario but its about 1 1/2 hrs away so you have to get a rental or carpool or take a bus.

2. hotel or camping: if you enjoy camping and can handle 3 days of heat and alot of partying and noise, then its for you. if not and u need beauty sleep, reserve a room now!! alot of them just want a credit card to hold the room so you dont have to pay upfront.

bring baby wipes, powder if you get rashes or whatever, suncreen, and lots of cash! basically like air already said, use the search button. last year was my first time and i researched everything for about 2 months and got so much great info.

good luck to u! :)

airguitarvet

12-25-2007, 11:10 AM

u will enjoy it- promise- just be ready

MeowMixer

12-26-2007, 07:11 PM

cute

slurpee

12-26-2007, 10:19 PM

Flying into Palm Springs is usually more expensive than flying into LA, San Diego, or Orange County. Palm Springs airport and grey hound station to festival grounds is still a decent trip.

There are plenty of people who arrange car pools and various rides from LA, San Diego, and Orange County. It is about a 1.5 hour drive. Grey Hound Bus services will work too.

Watch airfare over the next few months. I have never paid more than $200 round trip from Chicago. travelzoo.com weekly top 20 rules.

Order your festival tickets in January, it will be the cheapest prices.

Don't go into the festival at noon everyday. Only go on days you have lots of bands to see. It gets way too hot everyday and you will want to save some energy to party at night.

Traveling and arriving to the festival on Thursday is a good idea. Seeing as how to music starts on Friday afternoon.

On site camping is the best way to go, especially for a first timer. It is the cheapest, everything is right there, and you will meet tons of cool people from around the world.

Don't bring carmex, it will turn to a liquid due to the heat.

Don't pack a lot of clothes. Bring sandals. You will want shorts/tshirt/bathing suit for the day, but you will be colder at night. So bring a backpack with a sweatshirt or something.

Bring sunglasses.

You won't be drinking too much liquor/beer during the day (maybe not even at night). It is just way too hot. So you will save money on that.

If you want to take drugs, buy them at home. Coachella is not a hippy drug fest.

Prepare to have the best weekend of your life.

Cell phones don't work well. Walkie talkies do work well.

tricorne

12-26-2007, 10:22 PM

Use a rubber.

thelastgreatman

12-26-2007, 10:33 PM

Where are you from in Jersey?

unitedwestand

12-26-2007, 10:56 PM

Not a Hippie Drug Fest?
I agree with you somewhat,
but last year when me and my buddy went,
he made over $250 on cookies within the first like 2 days, and
he had all kinds of people asking him for more than just weed, so they are drugs at coachella, just not as much as Bonnaroo or any prime target hippie drug fest,
Average Temp at Indio for Coachella ranges from 110 Degrees (120 in tents during a crowded crowd) to 60 degrees at night
And the water deal! 10 Bottles of Water=get a free one!
And the food is fried, fried fried, (like all venues) so thats one bad deal for it, but it really isnt bad since everything about coachella is mostly good!
but you get to meet cool bands without having the V.I.P or backstage pass, so don't worry about buying one unless you want to meet Danny Devitto or something, because being in the crowd is always the best experience at most concerts, especially Coachella!
And it Never hardly ever rains (its the desert!)
and if your worried about getting sleep due to partying, it can surprisingly happen to you quickly even with all the partying going on, (Unless you have a n annoying ass guy drumming on the mother fucking drums all night right next to your tent)
Thursday is the night people party the most, and of course, by Sunday, everyone is usually tired out and there's less partying
The bar is a pain in the ass, even if your 21 or older, don't bother because its yeah-just a pain in the ass
Anyways that just about Sums up my Experience at Coachella 2007, and yup it was the best weekend of my life! AMEN COACHELLA

thelastgreatman

12-26-2007, 11:04 PM

Average temp is 110? That's completely incorrect. Shut up with your false information.

unitedwestand

12-26-2007, 11:06 PM

I meant average temperature is between 60 degrees and 110 calm down

algunz

12-26-2007, 11:11 PM

Well, average is the wrong word - a bit misleading.

thelastgreatman

12-26-2007, 11:13 PM

Um... yeah. In the sense that 110 was pretty much the absolute peak of temperature in 07 at best. So yes, misleading. In the sense that it's completely and totally inaccurate. That's like saying that the average temperature at Coach is 70 degrees because it dipped down that low one night. Wrong word indeed.

Don't mitigate for these dumb fucks, you dumb fuck.

unitedwestand

12-26-2007, 11:17 PM

lets all just say the word fuck because it feels good
fuck fuck mother mother fuck

algunz

12-26-2007, 11:23 PM

Randy, if you take every "newbie" this personally, you're gonna burst before the line-up is even announced. Relax!!

thelastgreatman

12-27-2007, 05:31 AM

What're you talking about? The person I was responding to wasn't a newbie. They came to 07. They said something wrong, I corrected them. Then you tried to mitigate it for them. Don't do that. People must be held accountable.

slurpee

12-27-2007, 09:31 AM

Not a Hippie Drug Fest?
I agree with you somewhat,
but last year when me and my buddy went,
he made over $250 on cookies within the first like 2 days, and
he had all kinds of people asking him for more than just weed, so they are drugs at coachella, just not as much as Bonnaroo or any prime target hippie drug fest,

No, Coachella is not a hippy drug fest.

1. Weed is not a drug.

2. There are not many hippies at Coachella.

3. Have you ever actually been to Bonnaroo?

jigawig

12-27-2007, 10:53 AM

some people here have serious anger issues...i think they need hugs (just not from me), or to get laid, or whatever it is they do to release stress and anger...why be so angry at every response?

faxman75

12-27-2007, 11:09 AM

Coachella perpetuates the anger. They have acts like Tool and Ragergrrr perform and then wonder why there is so much anger and attitude and moshing and drugs and fighting and animosity and pills and whores.

it will be my first time and i'm coming from Croatia. one question, is it a problem if i sleep in the car that i rent? cause usually when i cruise around Europe and visit festivals and shows, i mostly sleep in the car somewhere on the road. what is the situation regarding that in California ?

clarky123

12-28-2007, 03:34 AM

I don't see any issues as long as its not moving when you are sleeping. However, my slight experience of the US tells me that if you parked up and then started sleepin in your vehicle, somebody would surely complain.

amyzzz

12-28-2007, 11:57 AM

You can't sleep in your car in the Coachella parking lot, that's for sure.

faxman75

12-28-2007, 12:24 PM

I do it every year. In the morning with the a/c on. I camp. I go to bed at like 2 or 3 am. I get up at 6am. then I shower and head to my car and sleep for hours.

Of course you can. It's against the rules apparently but i've never been stopped. It's probably because the sun is up already and they certainly don't go car to car checking.

amyzzz

12-28-2007, 01:26 PM

That is a fucking great idea for getting sleep if you're camping.

Heresy

12-28-2007, 01:52 PM

The weather is unpredictable...that's typical for Indio and the desert. I went in 05 and it wasnt that hot but this year it was really hot so the heat can range anywhere from the mid 80s to the roasting triple digits. It all depends.

Not sure about airport related issues since I live in Southern California....I just drive there. As stated before, if youre going to rent a hotel room, reserve NOW.

consistingof

01-05-2008, 08:41 PM

sounds good. so roughly, how much should I bring with me to the event itself? I'm figuring I'll be spending arond 400 on plane,100ish on ticket and around what, 45 for camping? and then a car rental unless I carpool. Then camping neccesities. oi, it's getting pricey but seems very worth it. I'm from north jersey, by the way.

gaypalmsprings

01-05-2008, 09:26 PM

100ish on ticket?

Watch out for:

Chafing
Aidz Needles
Men Drinking Breast Milk
Golf Carts

thelastgreatman

01-05-2008, 09:30 PM

sounds good. so roughly, how much should I bring with me to the event itself? I'm figuring I'll be spending arond 400 on plane,100ish on ticket and around what, 45 for camping? and then a car rental unless I carpool. Then camping neccesities. oi, it's getting pricey but seems very worth it. I'm from north jersey, by the way.

Ugh, if you're from North Jersey feel free to stay home. I'm from the Shore and I don't need you guineas fucking up Coachella like you fucked up our beaches. =)

faxman75

01-05-2008, 09:51 PM

If last years prices are an indication you are looking at $199 a ticket during the presale or about $285 if you wait for the lineup reveal. Then about $45-50 for camping. Then I would say maybe $80 a day for food, water and merch if you want any otherwise you can do it for 40-50 a day comfortably or if you are hardcore and eat one meal and drink water inside but very minimal of each you can survive on $20 a day inside. Just be ready to collect a lot of water bottles to save money by recycling if they do that again this year.

consistingof

01-07-2008, 02:14 PM

Ugh, if you're from North Jersey feel free to stay home. I'm from the Shore and I don't need you guineas fucking up Coachella like you fucked up our beaches. =)

pfffttt I go up north to the mountains to have a good time, not down the shore.

thelastgreatman

01-07-2008, 02:42 PM

Eww... Appalachia? That's just gross.

brokendesign

01-07-2008, 07:23 PM

If you want to take drugs, buy them at home. Coachella is not a hippy drug fest.

thats half right
its more of a hipster drug fest...
but still a drug fest!!!!
ill have the brownies!!!!!!

guest-1185

01-07-2008, 09:42 PM

If its your first time you probably won't be very good and it may hurt if you're a girl. Just go for it but pace yourself, you don't want to blow your energy too early...

brokendesign

01-08-2008, 12:33 AM

If its your first time you probably won't be very good and it may hurt if you're a girl. Just go for it but pace yourself, you don't want to blow your energy too early...
you are talking about going to coachella right......?

guest-1185

01-08-2008, 08:49 PM

you are talking about going to coachella right......?

A little bit of both I suppose.

letitbe_

01-08-2008, 09:16 PM

So what IS the average temperature?

I'm a lifeguard in Arizona so I'm hoping I'm prepared =)

guest-1185

01-08-2008, 09:19 PM

So what IS the average temperature?

I'm a lifeguard in Arizona so I'm hoping I'm prepared =)

Last year it was around 100 during the day. If you're from AZ this shouldn't be an issue.

letitbe_

01-08-2008, 10:26 PM

Awesome.

Thanks.

mountmccabe

01-09-2008, 10:45 AM

So what IS the average temperature?

I'm a lifeguard in Arizona so I'm hoping I'm prepared =)

Someone once said that when it gets closer to the festival you can look at 10-day advanced forecasts (http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/USCA0512?from=36hr_fcst10DayLink_undeclared) from somewhere like weather.com. And from this chart (http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/daily/USCA0512?climoMonth=4) you can see that the record highs are way hot (107!) but the averages are are around 90 for the high and 60 for the low.

Courtney

01-09-2008, 11:49 AM

:cat

consistingof

01-16-2008, 08:35 PM

sweet. so now all ive gotta do is wait for the presale huh. Correct me if im wrong, but they would send the code of whatever via the newsletters? boooo im getting ansty.

fatbastard

01-19-2008, 06:35 PM

Why doesn't the board make a list of guidelines for Coachella? Glastonberry has one (like 36 pages long). It gives you a good idea of the vibe and surroundings.

guest-1185

01-19-2008, 06:39 PM

Why doesn't the board make a list of guidelines for Coachella? Glastonberry has one (like 36 pages long). It gives you a good idea of the vibe and surroundings.

it would give us something else to do. On that note I'm off to see a Circle Jerks show... yay!

dontfeedthebird

01-19-2008, 07:38 PM

I just responded to a post, but now I can't find it. I hate that.

dontfeedthebird

01-19-2008, 07:45 PM

Oh, I just remembered. Watch out for hidden fees on renting a car. Last year, it cost $250+ for a Coachella weekend.

guest-1185

01-20-2008, 01:08 PM

they add on an extra $25 a day or so if you're under 25

marooko

01-25-2008, 07:44 AM

You can't sleep in your car in the Coachella parking lot, that's for sure.

we pulled this last year, amyzzz. we went back to the car after the show and slept for several hours.

I do it every year. In the morning with the a/c on. I camp. I go to bed at like 2 or 3 am. I get up at 6am. then I shower and head to my car and sleep for hours.

Of course you can. It's against the rules apparently but i've never been stopped. It's probably because the sun is up already and they certainly don't go car to car checking.